GOVERNOR UPBEAT ABOUT PROSPECTS FOR TCI IN 2012
Governor Ric Todd has provided an upbeat assessment of the prospects for TCI in 2012 at the final Advisory Council meeting of the year on Grand Turk today, Wed, 14 Dec 2011.
The Governor noted that his comments followed the publication of the TCI Government's financial position for the second quarter of this financial year, from 01 Jun to 30 Sep 2011. He added that the information provided in this statement further demonstrates the Interim Administration's commitment to transparency.
Governor Todd said: "We all know that TCI has been through a tough time over the last few years, partly due to the global recession, partly to the problems caused by previous mismanagement. The people of the TCI are still paying the price. This has caused real difficulties. Many individuals and families have found, and indeed are finding, things very hard at this time. The Interim Administration is working hard to try to remedy these problems, to further develop the economy and to improve public services.
"Despite these present difficulties and challenges, there are grounds for growing optimism in 2012. The latest detailed account of the TCIG finances show that our reforms are, can and will have a positive effect. It is encouraging that as we look to control and re-prioritize public spending,
TCIG's income has risen; in the first half of this year it is up 34% on the same period last year. The financial statement sets out the facts that illustrate that our economy is showing signs of recovery.
"Our increasing revenues support what the hoteliers are already stating - that this looks like being a superb tourist season. Accommodation taxes were up 24% to $17.7m in the three months to September year on year, and that is before we take into account what appears to be developing into a bumper high season over the next few weeks and months. Furthermore, air passenger arrivals are up 15% on last year and we have the recent welcome news of an investment in a $15m second new private jet facility at the airport too.
"Through the milestones, we have a clear way forward set out by Ministers. The good news is that elections can be held before the end of next year if these are met. But as Minister Duncan said last week this remains a challenge. This is a challenge not just for the Governor's office, the Advisory Council and TCIG - it is something that we must all rise to meet.
But it is definitely achievable. "Returning to fiscal surplus in 2012/13 is perhaps our most challenging milestone. As has been widely covered, our estimates for this year have had to be significantly altered in view of unbudgeted bills from the past and a slower-than-expected rate of public sector reforms. Strong positive action is being taken to combat these factors.
"Furthermore, we recently had the first SIPT led civil recovery agreement for $1.25m. Meanwhile our main civil recovery programme has already won back for the people of TCI some 800 acres of Crown Land, worth $150million, which was misappropriated, and nearly a million dollars in cash. I am confident that more dishonestly acquired land and cash will be returned to its rightful owners, the people of TCI.
"Taking all this together, I think that there are good reasons to be positive about the prospects for TCI in 2012, and on this note, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone on these beautiful islands a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."
Chair of the Consultative Forum shares the 'national woes' of the Turks and Caicos Islands
Chair of the Consultative Forum of the Turks and Caicos Islands Mrs.Lillian Missick, made a huge impact when she opened the 27th and final sitting of the Forum for 2011.
She referred to what she regards as 'national woes' which have befallen the Turks and Caicos Islands, ranging from the recent arrest of former
government ministers on charges of corruption, to the imposition of 'onerous' taxes and fees, which she said have left us all feeling as
though we are paying fines for the crimes that those ministers allegedly committed.
However, she suggested as we approach a new year, that we as a country look forward and not dwell too much on the past.
Mrs. Missick spoke to the parental role that the British are playing by implementing structural reforms in order to help avoid the mistakes of the past, but she hastened to add that she used the term 'parental' advisedly.
Mrs. Missick lamented the fact that far too many of the British overseers,do not accept responsibility for creating this financial black hole.
The Consultative Forum Chair said this is especially important as it reinforces what she has been trying to impress upon the British for sometime now.
Mrs. Missick referred to her attendance at the recent Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) meeting in the UK with Overseas Territories
Minister Henry Bellingham, noting that he seemed committed to developing a relationship between the UK and the TCI, that is defined by mutual
respect, mutual trust and mutual appreciation. She also said she was heartened by the level of support from the sister overseas territories.
Inter Health Canada Christmas tree lighting
Inter Health Canada will be spreading some Christmas cheer this week by way of its annual Christmas tree lighting, which will take place at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre this coming Thursday December 15 between 4.30pm and 5.30pm.
Events include carols, a visit by Santa and other suprises. The actual switch on will be done by eight-year-old Arianna Gardiner. Arianna is yet another Cheshire Hall Medical Centre success story.
After breaking her leg in a fall at school earlier this year, she underwent some intensive treatment, including surgery, and a programme of rehabilitation. She has made a fantastic recovery due to both the skills and facilities here at InterHealth Canada, and her own determination.
ICC Rejects Malawi’s Immunity Claim for Sudan’s Bashir
The International Criminal Court says Malawi failed to cooperate with the Court by not arresting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during his visit to the country, and said it is referring the matter to the U.N. Security Council.
The Hague-based Court said Monday it reminded Malawi of its obligations as an ICC member before Mr. Bashir arrived for a regional summit in October.
The Court has issued arrest warrants for Mr. Bashir on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Sudan's Darfur region.
It said Monday that Malawi had confirmed the Sudanese leader's visit, but its foreign ministry argued it was not obligated to make an arrest because Mr. Bashir is a sitting head of state and has immunity under international law.
However, the ICC said that immunity for heads of state before international courts has been rejected time and time again, dating all the way beck to World War One.
Mr. Bashir has so far avoided arrest by traveling only to countries that will not hand him to the ICC.
Rebels in Darfur took up arms against the Bashir government in 2003, accusing the government of neglecting their region. The U.N. says more than 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict, and 2.7 million others displaced.
Burma Recognizes Suu Kyi’s NLD Party
Burmese authorities have officially recognized opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, allowing the party to re-enter the mainstream political process ahead of an upcoming parliamentary election.
State media said Tuesday that the country's election commission had approved the NLD's application for registration as an official political party.
The party was dissolved after boycotting elections in November 2010 because of a law that prevented Aung San Suu Kyi, then under house arrest, from running.
Last month, the Nobel laureate Suu Kyi confirmed that she plans to run for parliament in the next Burmese election, which is expected to take place sometime early next year.
The National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory in 1990, but the military refused to relinquish power.
Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest last year after spending much of the previous 20 years in detention.
Since taking power in March, Burma's new nominally civilian government has made a series of unexpected conciliatory gestures toward the country's opposition.
In the past year, Burma has halted a controversial Chinese-backed dam project, passed a bill that allows citizens to stage peaceful protests, and begun releasing some of the country's political prisoners. It has also eased some press restrictions and started talks with key opposition groups.
PNG Political Stalemate over PM Post Continues
Papua New Guinea's parliamentary speaker has refused to comply with a Supreme Court order reinstating independence leader Michael Somare as prime minister.
Speaker Jeffery Nape said Tuesday that he would only recognize the government of Peter O'Neill, who was elected by lawmakers in August while Mr. Somare was out of the country receiving medical treatment.
On Monday, Papua New Guinea's attorney general announced the supreme court had ruled the election was unconstitutional, saying there was no vacancy in the prime minister's office at the time.
“The legitimate government of Sir Michael [Somare] as at the second of August has now been fully restored by the due process of law.”
Mr. Somare, 75, was removed from office by a majority of lawmakers after spending five months in Singapore undergoing several heart surgeries. When he returned in September, Mr. Somare insisted he was still prime minister, saying his family had announced his resignation without his consent.
Mr. Somare is expected to be sworn in Tuesday amid heavy police presence in the capital, Port Moresby.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on Tuesday called for calm, saying that “violence would help nobody.”
“The situation on the ground is calm….but this is still a tense situation and we are deeply concerned about it. We're monitoring it very closely and we are in contact with all the relevant authorities.”
Mr. Rudd told Australia's ABC Radio that political tensions were high because the country essentially had two “alternative prime ministers.”
Mr. Somare led Papua New Guinea to independence in 1975 and was serving his third term as prime minister when he took a medical leave of absence in December 2010.
Iranian president targeted by shoe thrower
A 45-year-old textile worker who has been out of work for a year threw his shoes Monday at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to protest not having received unemployment benefits, an Iranian website reported.
He missed, striking a banner behind the president instead, said Ghased News, an unofficial website. CNN has not been able to confirm the report independently.
Ghased News said the incident occurred in the northern city of Sari during a memorial ceremony for a former oil minister who died last year.
Attendees beat the man until security forces intervened, the site reported. The man had been fired from his job at a weaving factory and said he had not received unemployment benefits for a year, it said.
Ghased News identified the man as Rashid S., a resident of Sari who was once jailed for throwing eggs and tomatoes at former President Mohammad Khatami.
The audience apologized to Ahmadinejad and chanted slogans in his support, Ghased News said.
Ahmadinejad's website, www.president.ir, posted a picture of the president at the event but made no mention of the flying footwear.
Throwing shoes is a sign of profound disrespect in Arab countries, but not in Iran. In December 2008, an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at President George W. Bush during a news conference in Baghdad. He, too, missed. As he was pushed to the floor, the reporter shouted that his act was a "farewell kiss" to the "dog" who launched the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The reporter, Muntadhar al-Zaidi, was released after nine months in jail.
Though many Iraqis hold Bush in low esteem, opinions were mixed in Iraq following the incident. Some viewed al-Zaidi as a hero, with thousands taking to the streets calling for his release; others said his act went against Arab traditions of honoring guests.
According to the CIA World Factbook, citing official government figures, Iran's unemployment rate last year was 13.2%. But many Iranians believe the true figure to be much higher.
West Coast Occupy Protestors Disrupt US, Canadian Ports
Hundreds of anti-Wall Street protestors blocked gates at some of the West Coast's busiest ports in the U.S. and Canada, as part of a nearly three-month-old movement against what they say is corporate greed.
Monday's protests caused a partial shut down of operations at some of the terminals in Oakland, California, and Portland, Oregon.
In Portland, hundreds of protesters blocked entrances at two terminals preventing trucks from entering. Employees of the terminals were told to stay home from work. In Oakland, unions representing dock workers and longshoremen sent workers home after hundreds of protesters blocked an entrance to the port. An International Longshore workers union official said 150 of the 200 workers were sent home. No workers were asked to work Monday night. Typically the night shift employs as many as 200 workers.
Similar demonstrations took place in Anchorage , Los Angeles , San Diego , and Seattle , as well as in the Canadian city of Vancouver.
Port of San Diego officials said the protest caused minimal disruptions to business, but did result in four Occupy protestors being arrested.
The demonstrations are called “Wall Street on the Waterfront” and are targeting SSA Marine, a shipping company that is partially owned by investment bank Goldman Sachs. Protesters accuse the company of unfair labor practices and union busting.
Goldman Sachs has been a regular target of the anti-Wall Street campaign.
The Occupy Wall Street movement began in New York in September. It says it represents the “99 percent” — those outside the top 1 percent of wealth holders.
Last week, Occupy protesters in Washington joined thousands of people, including jobless and underemployed Americans, for three days of demonstrations to press an agenda of jobs and economic equality.
Syria Crackdown Death Toll Exceeds 5,000: UN
The United Nations says the death toll from months of unrest in Syria has now surpassed 5,000 people.
U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay said Monday her office has received credible reports from a variety of sources that indicate the death toll since the unrest began in March “probably exceeds 5,000.”
She released the statement shortly after a meeting with U.N. Security Council representatives in New York, where she said the violence should be examined by the International Criminal Court.
Pillay also warned that sources fear a major assault on the flashpoint city of Homs may be imminent.
Meanwhile, Syrians voted Monday in municipal elections amid a general strike and an escalating crackdown on anti-government protesters. The elections cover more than 17,000 seats on local councils across the country's 14 provinces. Witnesses say turnout was low.
The opposition does not consider the vote a legitimate concession by President Bashar al-Assad's government, which has promised a series of political reforms to appease demonstrators.
Fierce clashes between Syrian security forces and army defectors continued in several parts of the country Monday.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said seven people were reported killed Monday in the flashpoint regions of Homs and Idlib.
A general strike continued for a second day in several regions across Syria as activists push for an end to Mr. Assad's rule through a campaign of civil disobedience.
The opposition Local Coordination Committee has urged citizens to gradually escalate the protests by holding sit-ins, closing facilities and refusing to work in the public sector.
In Homs, an opposition leader said the government has warned protesters to hand in weapons and surrender defecting military members by Monday night or face bombardment.
CNN quoted Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Hamdo of the Free Syrian Army as saying the 72-hour warning was given Saturday.
Also Monday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it is preparing for an influx of refugees to Jordan as the number of Syrian asylum seekers increases and violence in neighboring Syria shows no sign of abating.
Mr. Assad has been facing mounting international pressure to end a crackdown on dissent.
The uprising has turned increasingly violent in recent months, with defecting soldiers fighting back against the army and once-peaceful protesters taking up arms to protect themselves.
Gingrich's 'mind boggling' tax plan
Every Republican presidential hopeful has a plan to cut taxes.
But one candidate's plan has been described as so aggressive that it would blow a hole in the federal budget, lead to huge deficits and give the richest Americans a gigantic tax break.
That candidate is current frontrunner Newt Gingrich.
According a new analysis, Gingrich's tax plan would reduce government revenue by a staggering $1.3 trillion -- or 35% -- in 2015, the first year the plan could be fully implemented.
"It's mind boggling. It's a very large tax cut," said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, which performed the analysis.
What would Gingrich's plan do?
Gingrich wants to add to the current tax code by putting an optional 15% flat tax on income in place, with a $12,000 per-person deduction. And Gingrich would like to eliminate the estate and capital gains taxes.
Swing state economies complicate 2012 picture
For businesses, Gingrich wants to reduce the corporate tax rate from 35% to 12.5% -- a move that would take the rate from one of the highest in the industrialized world to one of the lowest.
All those tax cuts mean the federal government would take in much less money. In order to balance the budget -- or get even remotely close -- government spending would have to be slashed by huge amounts.
And that, as the current Congress has made clear, is near impossible.
The super committee, for example, was trying to find $1.2 trillion in savings over a ten-year period. They failed. The Gingrich plan would create a gap of $1.3 trillion in just a single year.
"This plan means big deficits," Williams said. "Or huge forced spending cuts. Or both."
But taxes would definitely go down. A lot.
Billionaires with 1% tax rates
A full 70% of Americans would pay lower taxes under the Gingrich plan, according to the analysis, an average savings of over $7,000 compared to current policy.
The highest-income individuals would see the greatest benefit. A full 99.9% of Americans with more than $1 million in income would get a tax cut. The average savings: $613,000, for an after-tax income boost of 28.7%.
The tax rate paid by those individuals would fall to 11.9%, a reduction of almost 20%. Meanwhile, Americans making less than $100,000 would see their rates drop by between 0.5% and 3.1%.
The Gingrich campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
The Gingrich tax plan was not heavily scrutinized when first released, but as the former long-shot candidate's fortunes have improved, his plans for the economy have received more attention.
The plan is similar in some respects to that of Texas Governor Rick Perry, but Gingrich's proposed rate cuts go even further.
For example, Perry would add a 20% optional flat tax and cut the corporate rate to the same level, while Gingrich wants to take the flat tax down to 15%, and the corporate rate to 12.5%.
Similar to the plan proposed by Rick Perry, taxpayers would be able to choose whether to pay the flat tax, or file under the existing tax code.
Both Perry and Gingrich have touted their optional flat taxes as a way to simplify the tax preparation process.
But tax experts have thrown cold water on that idea -- arguing that adding an additional tax option would necessitate the preparation of multiple returns to ensure the lowest rate.
"It's not tax reform," Williams said. "As long as you leave the old code in place, you're not doing tax reform. This would absolutely make it more complex."
And if Gingrich survives the primary process and emerges as the Republican nominee, his tax plan could provide ammo for the White House, which has signaled in recent days that income inequality will be central to its general campaign message.
After all, the top 1% of earners would get a tax break of more than $340,000 under Gingrich's plan, even if you assume the Bush tax cuts are extended.
CNN